Swimming device



Nov. 1, 1927.

K. B. MARTIN SWIMMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1926 lNVENTOR IKE-Martin BY ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 1, 1927..

UNITElFr @FFIQB KENNETH. B. MARTIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

Application filed October 22, 1926. Serial No. 143,4t23.

My invention relates to improvements in swimming devices of that class to which buoyant garments belong, and which consists in the combinations, constructions and ar- 5 rangements herein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is the of a swimming device which can be worn comfortably and without interference with the bodily movement of the wearer and which will support the wearer against sinlc. ing in water in a position suitable for swimming orfor rest.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a swimming device of the character described that can be adjusted to fit a wearer of any one of a plurality ent sizes and which also can be adjusted on the body of the wearer so as to float the body of the wearer in the water.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a swimming; device of the character described that is light in water, capable of being folded to take up but little space when not in use, attractive in appearance, economical to manufacture, and thoroughly practical commercially.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a swimming device embodying the invention applied in position on the body. of the wearer.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the members of the swimming device as they appear when spaced. from each other.

Figure 3 is a section substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of a modified form of front member which can be used in the swimming device.

The improved swimming device preferably comprises a front buoyant or float member generally indicated at l. and a rear float member generally indicated at 2. The front float member is substantially of. V-shape and comprises a pair of downwardly divergent branches 3 which are connected at their upper ends by an upper or ion 4:4

float member may be suhs n )9 SWIMMING DEVICE.

provision elements 6 adjacent to their extremities for of differengae en'ient with co-operating fastening elements 7 on the upper end portions of the branches 3 of the front float member. will be noticed that there are a plurality of longitudinally spaced fastening elements 7 on the upper end portion of each of the branches 3 of the front float member so that the shoulder straps 5 and the branches of the front float member may be adjustabl-y connected with each other. fastening elements 6 and 7 may be of any suitable known construction and may comprise snap fasteners.

The co-operative The adjacent edges of the shoulder straps 5 are co-operatively curved at their junctures with the upper end of the back float member so as to produce a concavely curved edge at 8, thus allowing ample clearance for the neck of the wearer. The upper edge of the web portion 4: of the front float member also may be concavely curved. at 9, to afford ample clearance for the front portion of the neck of the wearer when the device has been adjusted to its smallest possible size, that is, when the fastening elements 6 have been attached lowermost fastening elements 7.

to the The branches 3 will diverge from the lower end of the upper portion of the front member of the device toward the lower side porinverted Figure 1.

web por ticns of the body of the wearer, as shown in Figure 1, when the front and rear buoyant members are supported on the body of the wearer by the shoulder straps as shown in lhe lower end portions of the branches of the front. float member are connected by tie strip 10 which extends across tomaeh of the wearer and ding of the lower end no .[bcs and prevents the lelimits the ne otthe en portions ably engee'ea ble w of the branches from being tom-ed rearwardly beyond the sides of the wearer wnen the device is in use in the waiter. iin 21d justeble connection between the lower end width of the reef;- lent member. 11 is adapted to be extended under the crotch and upwardly at the tront ol the body 01 the wearer. as shown in Fip e l. and has a hook 12st extremity wl .h is ad:

ith a chain 1 The chein 13 is attached 1 its ii: e end the web portion l: of the lost member at the outer side or front face ot the adjustment of the connection between the members 11. and determines the longitudinal :idjiistn'ient of the 'l'rent and rear members on the body oi he wearer. end the center oi": buoynnoe o'l ..e device :1. whole,

thus can be adjusted so that the wearer of iported in position for the device will he swimming in th n J! 1.. ,i. H, ,v ency oi the body or Llii a, lim to annpright position or inverted position in the water will be QYQl'COlllQ. The 2(l]l1Sl'-- ment ol the n'ieinbers Ill nod 13 respect ol the device.

The front and r 211 tlont members t ditionolly connected with each other in o cured. in place on the body the wenro by a pair of strips 1% and 15., respectively. which have end portions secured to the 0 r side portions of the brsnehes i; oi the itront nont- 1.

member, at points soinei hat nearer the owcr ends of the brai ches 3 than the upper ends ot said branches. The streps end l1) oi the wean-er cross each other at the bnclc lent member 13 and attend across the the free ends of the straps i l and 15 be J 1 1 'L i 1! L1 3 extended across tne mnnches 5 oi the Li nally by a. row of stitc iing 1.. tudinzil compartments of the bers somewhat flattened elliptical in cross SQClLEOll 2' rear float member a :0 may l row of stitchine' as indica' will divide the li'mgiludinzil roniperlmenls transversely. The rows of stitching: ,5) and provide fold lines for the rear liout member so that it can be rolded to compact form.

lhe front flout member may have the SPECQS within the 'nsing of the branches thereof divided transversely intermcdnrtc their lengths by the transverse rows of sti chine 21. Transverse rows 01' stitching- 22 also may be provided across the upper end portions of the branches 5% of the front lent member adjacent to their juncture with the web portion 4; of the front float member. The front 1 member may be folded along: the rows of szitchine' 21 end and the port ons of the branches 2 below the rows of s.:itchin;r 2 may be flattened or substantially elliptical in cross sectioi nl contigurzv tion while the po tion of the front tlont member above the rows oi stitching: may be flattened somewhat to lit snugly against the upper pert 01 the trmit mrtion ot the body of the wearer.

The straps 14; and is; may eKl'ei'id across the back llont member in the groove that is produced by the i'ltlllSVOl'SG row o'l" stitching 20 and across the front float member in the p'roores which are produced by the (rain Yei rows of stitching: 21, whereby the a lid will be held against slippin g1 downw: rd on the float members. 7

The front and back float members may l e maintained in shape and the'lilh secured to the covering members substances thereot by ings extending therethrou 'h ll \Ytltfii with his feet down. or an inverted postion in the water.

rice ore unencumbered .Jltlllll? device is so well balanced when in use. that the wearer may renmin in :1 position to ie; while all rat. or nmy ireely use his liu'lbs :p 'iiired in inrii'innine ilhe d rice n. w

comfortably out of the 1 hen toided will tzllie up but rehitii l1 le spac 1d ther'iore can be curried I r iientl roin pic "5 to p. cc. will be note-ed that 'crices are required The front tloet met'uber nmy be formed to comprise relatively short branches -3 l rclatii'ely lo upper em shown in re igure C? Dill iii

tion of the front float member 1, which may be replaced by the front float member exhibited in Figure 4 if desired.

Obviously the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A swimming device comprising a front float member and a rear float member, said. front float member including a pair of downwardly and laterally diverging branches, shoulder members adjustably connecting the upper ends of said float members for supporting said float members on the body of the wearer, and adjustable means encircling the body of the wearer and securing said front and rear float members to the body of the wearer.

2. A swimming device comprising a rear float member and a front float member, said front float member including a pair of downwardly and laterally diverging branches, a pair of straps at the upper end of said rear float member adapted to extend across the shoulders of the wearer, cooperative fastening elements at the extremities of said shoulder straps on the upper end portion of said frontfloat member, adjustable means extending under the crotch of the wearer and connecting the lower end of said rear float member with said front float member, and other fastening means encircling the body of the wearer and tending to hold said front and rear float members clamped against the body of the wearer.

3. A swimming device comprising a rear float member adapted to be positioned against the back of the body of the wearer, straps at the upper end of said rear float member adapted to extend across the shoulders of a wearer, a front float member having a pair of downwardly and laterally divergent branches, cooperative fastening elements on the upper ends of the portions of said front float member and on the adjacent edge portions of said shoulder straps, adjustable means extending under the crotch of the wearer and connecting the lower end portion of said rear float member and the upper portion of said front float member, and a tie member connecting the lower ends of the branches of said front float member and extending across the front of the body of the wearer.

4. A swimming device comprising a rear float member adapted to be positioned against the back of the body of the wearer, straps at the upper end of said rear float member adapted to extend across the shoulders of a wearer, a front float member having a pair of downwardly and laterally divergent branches,cooperative fastening elements on the upper ends of the ortions of said front float member and on t ie adjacent edge portions of said shoulder straps, a chain attached at one end to the front float member at the juncture of the upper ends of the branches of said front float member, a strap attached to one end to the lower end of the rear float member and adapted to extend under the crotch of the wearer of said last named strap having fastening elements at its extremity adjustably engageable with said chain, a tie strap connecting the lower,

ends of the branches of said front float member, and a pair of cooperative binding straps having their remote ends attached to the outer sides of the branches of said front float member and being adapted to be crossed at the back of the wearer against the back float member and then extended to the front of the wearer across the branches of the front float member and adj ustably connected with each other at the front of the wearer.

5. A swimming device comprising a plurality of buoyant members, each comprising a casing of flexible waterproof material and a filling of substance lighter than water, said buoyant members having rows of stitching connecting opposite portions of the casing, and defining lines on which said bouyant members can be folded, the members at one side of the line of fold being divergent laterally in an outward direction therefrom.

6. A swimming device comprising a rear float member substantially rectangular in longitudinal sectional configuration, a front float member having a pair of downwardly divergent branches, adjustable fastening means connecting said float members and maintaining said float members in place on the body of the wearer, said rear float member having a longitudinal row of stitching thus dividing said rear float member longitudinally into two sections, each of which is substantially elliptical in cross section, and the branches of said front float member also being substantially elliptical in cross sectional. configuration.

7. A swimming device comprising a rear float member substantially rectangular in longitudinalsectional configuration, a front float member having a pair of downwardly divergent branches, adjust-able fastening means connecting said float members and maintaining said float members in place on the body of the wearer, said rear float member having a longitudinal row of stitching thus dividing said rear float member longitudinally into two sections, the sections of the rear float member and the branches of said front float member being substantially elliptical in cross sectional configuration, the portion of the front float member at the jluncture of said branches being relatively lid 8. A. swimming device comprising a rear float member. adapted to be positioned against the back or a wearer, a front flout member, straps connecting the upper ends 55 of said float members and adapted to extend acrosstho shoulders of :1 wearer, said float members being downwardly and laterally diverging and having transverse grooves in their outer faces, and straps for encircling the body of thewearer and said float menr hers for securing said float members to the body of the wearer, saio straps being engageeble with said transverse grooves, whereby the straps will be prevented from slipping downward on tie float members.

KENNETH B. ii JZARTIN. 

